Concert showcases two classical Indian dance styles

As we’ve seen in Bollywood movies, India is dedicated todancing. Local audiences will get a chance to experience this bit ofIndian culture Saturday at “Nritya Chitra: Envisioned Gestures.”

The event combines two styles of Indian dance as acelebration of the spirituality and culture they represent, saidShreelina Ghosh, one of the featured dancers. The styles wereoriginally performed in temples as part of religious rituals, she added.

Dancers will perform Odissi- and Bharatanatyam-styledances, both of which are more than 1,000 years old. Odissi is a formof dance from east India and is the oldest surviving dance of thecountry. Bharatanatyam originated in southern India and is one the mostpopular dance performances.

“Odissi is soft and lyrical, and Bharatanatyam is boldand rigourous,” said Ghosh, who specializes in Odissi. “Thejuxtaposition of the two styles in the event will help the audienceunderstand the uniqueness of the styles.”

Performers include Michigan Odissi Dance Academy founderManasi Mishra, Michigan State University graduate students ShaliniVijayarajan and Sudha Sankar and students of Mishra’s academy.